In the heart of southeastern Guatemala, the small village of Villa Graciela bears witness to the humility and perseverance of the Church. Thanks to the silent commitment of laypeople such as Mirna Sucely Ramírez and José Flavio Silvestre, pastoral life flourishes within the community which has been struggling to rebuild not only the physical structure …
Category archives: Central America
ACN Project of the Week – Belize
A convent for the St. Vincent Sisters Belize is a small country in Central America with a population of around 400,000. Since it is a former British colony, English is spoken here, though many of its inhabitants are migrants from other Central American countries. Agriculture is the main source of income in the country, and …
Project of the Week – Guatemala
A vehicle for a parish at the foot of a volcano Father Luis Francisco Morales Reyes is in charge of the parish of Siquinalá, Escuintla, in the south of Guatemala. It has a population of just over 26,000 people, around 60% of whom are Catholics. Most of the rest of the population are members of …
ACN Project – Guatemala
Booklets honouring the martyrs of Quiché The civil war in Guatemala dragged on for 36 years before finally coming to an end in 1996. It was one of the most brutal armed conflicts in all Latin America, in which at least 200,000 people were killed, while tens of thousands more simply disappeared without a trace. …
Central America-A “gap” of inhumanity
Latin American bishop cries out over Darién crisis The archbishop of Panama spoke to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about his experience in the region of the Darién Gap, one of the most inhospitable migratory routes in Latin America. Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta highlighted the urgent need for attention and action in …
Colombia: Walking to Heaven together
A young priest speaks of the challenges and joys in bringing the sacraments to the most isolated communities in the Colombian Amazon. Father Jonathas Fernandes is only 33, but he already has an impressive resume as a missionary. He was only a child, in his native Brazil, when he felt a calling to the priesthood: …
ACN Project of the Week – Costa Rica
Renovation of a formation house refectory The monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe is situated in the city of Belén in Costa Rica and also serves as the formation house for the postulants of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, in Central America. At present, there are six brothers there—two of them fully professed, as …
Aid to the Church in Need welcomes release of priests in Nicaragua
But concerns over lack of religious freedom remain. Nineteen clerics were released and expelled from the country, adding to the dozens of others who have been exiled in the past few years. The restrictions on religious freedom continue in a country where four out of nine dioceses now have bishops living abroad, says Regina Lynch, …
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Over 200 million dollars in donations for suffering Christians around the world
Montreal, Thursday, June 15, 2023 – Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presents its 2022 annual accounts which reflect a year of record support. Ukraine was the largest individual recipient of help for projects in 2022, receiving almost 10% of the aid, while Africa was the region that received the most support. …
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ACN Project of the Week – Guatemala
A vehicle for a remote mountain parish The parish of El Calvaria in central Guatemala covers a mountainous area of over 2,000 km² and includes 117 separate small communities. The challenges are enormous. Most of the inhabitants are Kekchí – Mayan Indigenous Peoples. They are especially disadvantaged and marginalised and live for the most part …